An Empire of Peace
by Taft
Summary: A saga of Princess Luna struggling to bring order the the chaos
1. In the beginning

In the beginning there was nothingness. From the nothingness came the First Serpent, The Wyrm of Chaos, The Dragon Discord. He abhorred the void and sought to fill it with things. Many strange things came and went, and he did revel in his chaos. He made earth that his creations may walk and draw sustenance, and sky that they may breathe and water that they may drink.

For a while his creations did exult themselves with these things. Then Discord said "As it is a blessing, it shall also be a curse! As ye did walk upon earth, it shall now be unsteady at times and take care that thou should not be under it!" And ground did shake and the rocks and boulders did crush and molten fire did spew forth at random intervals. This did please Discord because as they did need the ground for walking and for drawing sustenance but they were also a feared of it.

Enjoying the misfortunes he heaped upon them, he again said "As it was a blessing, it shall also be a curse! The Sky, bringer of warmth and life, shall also torment ye!" As before the sky opened up with many horrors, the least of which was that Rain, bringer of water to places far away from the rivers and oceans, now also flooded and caused countless injuries and aliments. Other horrors included hail that beat and destroyed things, winds that ripped trees out by the roots, and snow that could mean death for those caught in it. This did please Discord as they needed the sky for warmth and life but where the horrors of wind and hail and snow did torment them endlessly.

Enjoying the new misfortunes as well as the ones already heaped upon them, He again said "As it was a blessing, it shall also be a curse! Water, giver of life and sustenance shall also take it away from ye!" And as before, the water turned on them. Powerful tides and currents sucked the unwary into abyss, while on land it did ravage everything in its path. And Discord enjoyed these new misfortunes most because every blessing water brought also was a curse.

As he lorded over the earth, He did torment his creations endlessly in new ways. Fire was introduced as was disease. He laughed as his creations withered in misery and agony, as he did cheer them in their triumphs.

One day he was flying over the earth he did notice life that was not of his making. And this fascinate him endlessly. "Hark!" he said "and ho! This is some new thing." And it did delight him endlessly. He stood by the new life as it did grow and spread. It out fought his creations and did take their living space. Every new obstacle was met and overcome with some form of change. He tried every one of his curses, and still they overcame it.

Such as it was the many days and nights until the first Equidae did walk the earth.


	2. Where we see the future princess

Andarta awoke in a start. A series of loud noises suggesting battle had erupted outside. She grabbed her barding and galloped as fast as she could outside. "How could they get past our watch?" she murmured to herself.

Outside the source of the noise was painfully obvious. Two drunken warriors squared off over an argument and, as in these cases, other unicorns got involved by the time her father Chief Taranis did intercede, three were dead and several were wounded.

Taranis roared and trotted around but everyone knew this would come to nothing. For all his whinnying, the Chief like to see his warriors proving themselves, even for the stupidest of reasons. It was the way of things since the first ancestors and would always be the way of things. His son, Camulus, a spitting image of his father, was watching eagerly as the original combatants faced off one last time and victor emerged bloody mane in teeth. He was cheered and the whole sorry procession went back to sleep.

"What was that about?" Andarta complained to her father.

"Who cares?" Camulus scoffed, his eyes still lit up, "the battle happened, and it was glorious!"

"Two drunks fighting hardly strike me as material for an epic tale." Andarta retorted.

"Aye, that thou are just a filly!" Camulus teased "Anytime good warriors fight is worthy material."

"What happened?" the youngest child, Sirona cried.

"Stupidity." Andarta grumbled, she softened and cooed "It's over, go back to bed."

The next morning, after the bodies were counted and cleared, Andarta went to practice her magic in the area behind her father's hut. Her brother wandered over from time to time to pester her.

"Thou should just give it up and become a wife." He chuckled "Father could marry thee off to some other chieftain!"

"Then many years down the road thou could kill my husband and children and I would come back here." Andarta snorted

"The way of things!" Camulus laughed "Thou are too serious. Thee will look like a Pegasus if thou keep at it!"

"Dear Brother, how can any of this make sense to thou?" Andarta cried, exasperated "Those unicorns died for no reason. No territory was gain, no profit made. We are weaker now simply because two stallions had too much to drink and decided to settle a nonexistent issue!"

"Look," He said consolingly "even if I agreed with thou, which I don't, conflict is the course of life. We Equus were born of chaos to fight. When the Great Herd trampled the most serious of opponents and the First Horselord was killed by the treachery of the Pegasus and the Earth Ponies, we had to keep fighting just to stay alive. Only our mastery of magic kept us from being wiped out."

"Then why do we fight each other!" She hissed.

"Because treachery is beast that lurks in all Equus' souls. We, the clan of Shield-Shatter, are as guilty as all the rest of ponykind, if not as willing to act under her influence. These are the old tales, and few mysteries remain about the issue."

Hours later Andarta was summoned to her father's throne. An oddly ornate piece of furniture given the surroundings, it was carved out of single large tree and inscribed with magical runes. He lounged in it with Epona, his wife and clan druid.

"Thee brother tells us something troubles you." Chief Taranis stated.

"Yes, our child, we are concerned," Epona fussed "what is it that troubles thou?

"An impossible wish." Song pouted.

"What is it that our child desires? A good husband? A fine dress? " Taranis laughed. "Name it and we will see if we can't get it for thee."

"An end to the fighting between the Unicorn clans." Andarta huffed.

That rocked the chieftain and his wife back on their fetlocks.

"A noble wish, to be certain but thou were correct." Taranis intoned

"Do not fret child, this world was this way before you came into it and it will stay this way was long after ye have gone to the Great Fields and your bones have crumbled into dust." Epona cooed.

"On other business, we are sending a trade envoy to the earth ponies," Taranis slyly spoke "Perhaps ye would like to go too?"

Andarta's eyes lit up as traveling was oft held dream of hers.

Taranis laughed, his voice echoing.


End file.
